Halloween is coming (I think...)

Needless to say, Halloween is just a few days away. It's been relatively quiet around here in my neck of the woods...I think we're managing our expectations about Halloween. You see...for those of us in the New Jersey and surrounding areas, Halloween's been "canceled" by Mother Nature for the last two years. I'm talking major storms, extended power outages, and gas shortages so missing out on Halloween was the least of our concerns. But with that in mind, I think many of us are taking a "let's see..." and "we'll believe it when it happens..." kind of a stance on it.

It's looking good though. I'm hopeful the kids will finally get to trick-or-treat on the actual day of Halloween and have a chance to enjoy their parade, assemblies and parties at school this year. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Halloween (sorry!) but as a mom, I feel an obligation to mark the occasion and work up some enthusiasm. So my little ninja and I will be trick-or-treating and enjoying all the celebrations this coming Thursday.

On the home base, I whipped up these spiderweb cookies. I'm not into anything ghoulish so I stick with cutetreats when I make any for Halloween. This year, I saw spiderweb florentines in Martha Stewart Living (yes, I said Martha - and no, we won't go there...) that seemed like a fun thing to whip up. Instead of using the florentine recipe from the magazine, I went with my favorite tuile recipe - these almond-butterscotch ones - and added the simple dark chocolate spiderweb design on top. It's not all that different from when I drizzled them rather haphazardly with chocolate for the holidays.

These simple spiderweb cookies are just my type of Halloween treat. And whenever I think of these types of thin, crispy, lace cookies (or tuiles/florentines), I always think ice cream. Their crispiness goes so well as a contrast to smooth, creamy ice cream so naturally, I had to serve them together!

Have a fun and safe Halloween, everyone!

Tuiles are really easy to make - you literally just warm and stir 5 ingredients together (in this case: butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, and almonds) in a small saucepan or skillet to make the batter. It only takes about 2 teaspoons of batter to make one of these and you can store any you don't make right away in the refrigerator for a week. That way, you can bake a few as needed and serve them fresh with a bowl of ice-cream (of course)! Better yet, take the tuiles straight out of the oven and gently press them on top of an upturned cup or bowl to make a serving dish for your ice cream. They are fun and delicious at the same time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan or small skillet, melt the butter along with the brown sugar and corn syrup over low heat. Once the mixture is melted evenly, add the flour and nuts and stir until combined. Let batter cool slightly and you can use it right away or transfer it to a small container, cover, and refrigerate for up to one week.

To bake tuiles, drop 2-teaspoon mounds of batter onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can use wet fingertips to round out the mounds so they spread more evenly as they bake. Place no more than 4 mounds on each baking sheet and space them well apart since they spread a lot.

Bake until tuiles spread and turn golden brown, roughly 7 minutes, rotating the pan mid-way and keeping an careful eye on them toward the end (remove them before they get too dark).

Let the tuiles cool for about a minute (they harden very quickly) before lifting them up with a metal spatula and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Place melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe chocolate onto tuiles in a spiral, starting in the center and working outward. Make lines from the outside and in, repeating all around until you have a spiderweb pattern. Let tuiles sit at room temperature, or refrigerate, until chocolate sets before serving. These tuiles are best fresh, eaten the same day they were made while they're crisp so it's a good idea to bake what you need and save leftover batter for later. If that's not practical, however, I've had success storing the baked cookies in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days (they stayed crisp). And don't forget: tuiles are an excellent accompaniment to ice cream!

I am not Halloween person either and just like you if I have to create something I'd rather go with something cute than spooky. And these cookies are just that! I love the idea of serving ice cream in them too...lovely textures!

These look so adorable and cute Monica! I love how nice the webs looks, they turned out perfectly! My hubby adores Halloween and Christmas so he always makes sure to have everything out and ready weeks ahead lol. I will be hoping for a storm-free Halloween for you and everyone else and that you and your lil guy will finally get to enjoy this year :)

I love eating tuiles but have (gasp) yet to attempt them in my own kitchen! FOR SHAME. This spiderweb version is downright adorable! And I am keeping my fingers crossed for a smooth and uneventful halloween also!

Tuiles are one of those cookies I haven't gotten up the nerve to attempt because they seem like they're really hard to make. I love what you did with your chocolate garnishes on these, Monica :) Especially the "boo!" Have fun trick-or-treating!!!

I always thought that too, Amy. I took a cooking class around junior high school and I would hang out in the kitchen and I remember someone made tuiles and I had a taste and loved them. Fast forward years later and I couldn't believe how easy it is to make when I did. Stir in a skillet and use! Just need to watch and pull them out before they get too brown. Real easy. I like molding them to make bowls, too. Anyway, glad you like it...The "boo" is as creative as I get..for real!

Hi Monica, I like these Tuile spider webs. My daughter has invited some of her friends on Halloween night, this would be a perfect dessert. Check your previous and other posts later in the evening. Have a good day.

Monica, these are so cute and festive! I love the idea of serving this on the side with some ice cream. I hope the weather this year is calm enough for your son to go trick-or-treating. I remember loving it when I was a kid. Halloween was my absolute favorite time of the year. Have a great week! :)

I totally saw these (or the idea-ish for them) in the Martha Stewart magazine, bookmarked for Halloween, then FORGOT ALL ABOUT THEM UNTIL NOW! And now it's obviously too late because how am I going to make them in time to post them for Halloween!? HOW? I will just have to post yours instead!

and you just HAD to mention serving them with ice cream! I am totally snagging these when I steal Shannon's ice cream party idea for my other half's bday <3

Hi Natalie - sounds good to me! : ) I'm glad I reminded you about them even if it's too late for you to make them. There's always next year... Shannon's ice cream party sounds so awesome. It might be my ideal way of celebrating a birthday. All I need in life (food wise) is chocolate and ice cream. : )

Those cookies are so fun and festive, Monica! I am with you on the Halloween thing. I love this time of year, but Halloween itself, and particularly the costumes are just not my favorite. I guess being a mom means you have to just embrace it though!

Thanks, Jess! I do have to work up some enthusiasm for it as part of my mommy "job" description. My little one is ga-ga over it and the prospect of all the candy coming on Thursday. I just hope he'll share some Kit Kats with me. ; )

Thank you - my son had the "best" Halloween, according to him. A little light rain early but it was fairly dry throughout trick-or-treating. He got quite a haul so all is well (and I'm exhausted). Oh...I didn't hand any of these out to trick or treaters...I think, in general, homemade treats are not common or recommended for Halloween. : )

LinkWithin

Thank you for visiting my blog, where I journal some of the results of my sweet (and sometimes savory) creations in the kitchen! It's all about having fun, learning from others, and enjoying the fruits of your labor with those you care about.